For the love of things that smell nice.

Month: December 2017

She slinks past, her full length, leather coat rustling. A cabbie calls her Neo. She snaps a threat back. For a moment, I imagine her cracking a whip at him but then she crosses the road and disappears into the pines…

Alkemia Krampus (AK) is part of the Winter seasonal line, inspired by the eponymous German folkloric figure. Krampus is essentially the opposite of Santa Claus, punishing naughty children and giving them coal instead of presents. AK’s listed notes are leather and, fittingly, coal.

It opens with the anisic note that Alkemia is famous for, especially in its men’s line. Here though, rather than being a feature, it is minor player, a complication in the mix. AK is largely worn sheep leather, clean at first, dirtier after warming. An appealing coal tar soap element that appears towards the fifteen minute mark.

During the first hour, a photorealistic black-tea-in-a-cannister note passes through. It is unexpected in this fragrance and oddly suggests something Russian, samovars, snow.

Around the hour mark, the leather cleans up again.

Two hours and AK becomes black shiny leather ala classic Doc Martens.

AK is largely unchanged at three hours, perhaps a little sweeter

Total longevity is five hours.

The Moth Woman is fond of leather fragrances. They go with her extensively black wardrobe. They are, however, not the easiest scents to wear in an Australian summer. Most are bombastic and become unbearably huge in the heat. AK is a quiet. The projection is low. This is not a criticism. This makes AK a leather that is a delight in the heat.

Unfortunately the trade off is in its longevity. You can, however, reapply, so not something that should put you off.